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Who Wants to Be a Country Music
Star? A question that many people might answer "I
 Do",
but unfortunately never will be!!! The author of this book
Sam Wellington was a member
of a very successful Nashville based harmony group called
The Fabulous Four Guys and
gives a little advise to all budding wannabe's. In his book
Sam explains a little about "The Right Way - The Wrong
Way and the Nashville Way to Launch and Maintain a Music
Career!"
From the 1960's onwards The Four
Guys were a popular harmony style singing group who
drew appeal with a unique sound by blending easy country,
western and pop music that drew much broader audiences. The
Four Guys regularly toured with artists such as Charlie
Pride, Hank Williams jnr,
Ferlin Husky, Faron
Young, Marty Robbins and
Jimmy Dean. In 1967 they became
members of the Grand Ole Opry and also appeared on shows
hosted by Bob Hope, Willie
Nelson, Dinah Shore and Dolly
Parton.
Prior to breaking into show business "Big
Time", Sam Wellington had
a spell in the US Navy, but a career chipping paint on board
ship didn't offer any great appeal for him. Academically Sam
says that he was not one of the top-ranking students and
graduated from High School 92nd out of 96…..the man was
far too busy attracting girls by singing in the
"hot" high school group called The Jets" (and
you can't excel at everything now can you??!!!). Sam started
working for 'a small-town newspaper', before moving on to
"small-town radio" as news writer and building-up
to station manager by the age of 25. Sam says that at the
height of his career as a "Broadcasting Whiz Kid"
he left to start a highly successful career in Nashville as
a fourth of the singing group The Four
Guys (Hall Of Fame D.J. Charlie
Douglas later tagged them The
"Fabulous" Four Guys.) After 32 years as a
member of the Grand Ole Opry and singing with the Guys
Sam retired in 1999.
In his book Who Wants to Be a
Country Music Star? Sam Wellington
doesn't set out a  direct
plan as to how to become a star in the country music business.
There are 35 easy to read short chapters in which he offers
a little of his own experience with incite into behind the
scenes, or pointers that may or not be so apparent to the
up-and-coming next country music superstar (or wannabe).
Sometimes amusing, sometimes strictly serious, Sam offers
the cold hard facts of the music industry. Though the book
is projected towards country music, Wellington's advice
doesn't just relate to people who want to break into the
country music business, but also links to show business
in general and perhaps wider business sense as well. The
Four Guys also ran a successful theatre-restaurant
The Harmony House in downtown Nashville between 1975-85
and along with their regular busy touring schedule had 51
people on their payroll.
There are little anecdotes about country music stars
that Sam looked-up to as his mentor and gained experience
from such as Jimmy Dean and Tex
Ritter. Of Nashville insiders and movers and shakers
working around the vast network of recording, performing and
even the legal side of the music business in Music City,
USA. There are the dos and don'ts that are a part of
everyone's working and social life, which people often
forget or overlook when success finally beckons.
Throughout the book Sam has this alter-ego called HOSS
that pops-up and adds his own two-pennyworth every now and
again. Personally I find HOSS
a little too distracting and could happily live without
him…perhaps he should be put out to pasture with the rest
 of
the retired mules and hoss'es!!!
Even if you are not a budding country music star in
waiting and just a fan of the music…Who
Wants to Be a Country Music Star? is an interesting
read for all and gives us outsiders a greater knowledge of
the Nashville music business. It tells a little about the
history of Nashville, the Grand Ole Opry and The Nashville
Sound. There are a host of interesting photos of historic
and important buildings connected to Music City such as
ASCAP building, the Ryman, the new Grand Ole Opry House and
The Country Music Hall Of Fame and Museum, as well as photos
of Tootsies Orchid Lounge, Robert's Western World and the
Ernest Tubb Record Shop. I enjoyed reading the book and
rarely found time to put it down. Incidentally I notice
right at the back of the book in small letters it said
"Printed in the United Kingdom by Lightning Source UK
Ltd"…even more reason to buy a copy!
So for anyone "Who Wants to
Be a Country Music Star?" (and even if you
don't) reading Sam's book would be time well spent. It is a
good reminder that it's all about showbiz and buddy don't
forget…"You're On Show!!!"
"Who Wants to
Be a Country Music Star?" can be purchased at
Dot-Com outlets such as Barnes & Noble, Borders, Amazon,
Books-A-Million and direct from the publishing company AuthorHouse
who offer nearly 20% discount when purchased
directly from them.
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